Cognitive Science Lunchtime Talk - Emily Liquin

Abstract: Much of human learning throughout the lifespan is achieved by seeking and generating explanations. However, very little is known about what triggers explanation search in the first place, or under what conditions one’s “explanation-seeking curiosity” is satisfied. I will outline an approach to the study of explanation that considers how these motivational states (explanation-seeking curiosity and explanatory satisfaction) relate to the epistemic goals of explanation, proposing that explanations are both sought out and evaluated on the basis of the epistemic functional consequences of explanation (e.g., learning, generalization). I will present two sets of studies that test this account.